Zee Turner takes off signal from Asianet Networks

Television viewers in Kerala will not be able to view as many as 33 channels of Zee Turner as the broadcaster has deactivated its signals to Asianet Networks. The channels will go off air for Asianet customers from February 19. The signals are being switched off owing to large outstanding payments from Asianet since November 2008.

Television viewers in Kerala will not be able to view as many as 33 channels of Zee Turner as the broadcaster has deactivated its signals to Asianet Networks. The channels will go off air for Asianet customers from February 19. The signals are being switched off owing to large outstanding payments from Asianet since November 2008.

Asianet Satellite Communications is responsible for distributing signals to majority of households in Kerala and as a result of this stand off, almost the whole of Kerala will be without the Zee Turner channels.

A Zee Turner official said, “We have been trying to negotiate the issues with Asianet, but our efforts have gone down the drain. Thus, we have decided to deactivate our channels from the network. Moreover, Asianet has also been violating the terms of the agreement that have been signed earlier in the year by both the parties.”

This will mean that Kerala households connected through Asianet will not be able to watch popular channels such as Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Ten Sports, Cartoon Network, and Pogo, among others. The broadcaster claims that the deactivation will affect 10 million viewers in 14 major cities of Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kollam, Calicut and Tiruchirapalli.

Asianet is the largest cable service provider in the region for cable TV and Internet solutions. Its cable network services operate from over 40 centres throughout the state and touch over a million homes and establishments.